City of Gold
by Ranko twin
Summary: Two con-artists, Atem and Akefia, find that fate is a cruel mistress and loves to play tricks on them. It was just a game of dice and that somehow got them on a ship where they are held prisoner. How did they end up in the legendary City of Gold? And why do these people keep calling them gods? They should have listened to that voice that tells them to quit while they were ahead.
1. Chapter 1

**Yami: You must be insane. **

**Ranko: Only for you guys ;)**

**Yami: Are you seriously starting another story right when you began Phantom of the Opera and currently working on Behind the Scenes? **

**Ranko: Don't judge me!**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin is going to die from story overload. **

**Ranko: I don't tell you how to live your life!**

**Yuugi: And she has had caffeine recently; this is fan-tucking-fastic. **

**Yami: Hey! Don't steal my line!**

**Ranko: You guys wanted more Tendershipping? I'm giving it to you! This is a Tendershipping and Puzzleshipping mix that is based off the movie The Road to El Dorado! I was watching the movie the other day and I was like, "This is a YGO story!" So just like that, I wrote this chapter!**

**Yuugi: So who am I? **

**Ranko: Can't tell you yet. **

**Yami: Who am I?**

**Ranko: Can't tell you yet.**

**Bakura: Who am I?**

**Yami: Why the hell are you here?**

**Ranko: No spoilers! You have to read and find out!**

**Ryou&Yuugi: Bitch…**

**Ranko: Thank you. **

**Yuugi: Ranko twin does not own anything that is related to The Road to El Dorado nor Yu-Gi-Oh; both belong to their respected creators. **

**Yami: Get out of here, Bakura! I'm the only one who can be in Ranko twin's author's notes!**

**Bakura: You wanna fight?**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

"Citizens of Kehmet!" Ushio declared in a loud, booming voice, addressing the crowd of people that had come to watch their ships leave port and set out to sea. "Today! We sail to conquer the New World! To explore the unknown beyond the sea!"

The crowd roared and cheered in excitement.

"For Egypt!" He took his goblet and filled it with water from the fountain. "For glory! For gold!" He pushed himself onto his horse and waved to the excited crowd of people who were there to see their expedition crew off.

To the citizens of Kehmet, this was a great adventure and a great discovery for the country of Egypt. To Ushio, however, this was a search for power and glory and wealth.

A line of soldiers raised their guns and fired blanks into the air. The sound startled the horse Ushio was riding. It whinnied and stomped around, throwing Ushio off balance and causing the water from his cup to splash onto his leather armor. He growled low in his throat.

"Alexis! Steady!" he commanded, pulling at his horse's reigns.

He scoffed and looked at his now empty goblet; the threw it over his shoulder, unintentionally hitting a Wanted poster.

WANTED

AKEFIA AND ATEM

REWARD: 100 GOLD

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, there was a game of dice being played in the back corner of an alley.

"Come on, seven!"

A tan man with wildly spiked, tri-colored hair rolled a pair of red dice across the dirt ground. They spun for a while before one landed on a five and the other landed on a two. The man cheered and his friend—another tan man with startling white hair and a long scar running down his left eye—high fived him.

The two men began to dance, singing a silly song.

"Tons of gold for me! Tons of gold for you! Tons of gold for we!"

"They don't call me the King of Games for nothing!" the first man announced to the crowd merrily, rattling his dice in his hands. "Does anyone else dare to challenge me?"

"Come on now, don't be shy, everyone," the second man said. "Step right up! Does anyone think that they can take down the almighty Atem, the man who the gods smile down upon and bless him!"

Atem chuckled and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Akefia, you are too kind! But I believe that it is time that we take our leave."

"Hey!" one large man shouted angrily. The man had just been robbed of all his gold by the two partners and he wanted his money back. He had a suspicion that this "King of Games" was cheating. "One more roll!" he commanded, his buddies backing him up and nodding in agreement.

Akefia and Atem exchanged glances and then broke out laughing, startling the group of large, tall men. "Hey guys," Akefia said. "You're broke! You've got nothing to bet with!"

The leader of the group grinned at his friends and then reached into the inner pocket of his vest. "Oh, yeah? I've got this," he declared, pulling out a rolled up piece of paper, unrolling it and revealing a map of some sorts.

Akefia looked unimpressed; he didn't notice Atem's face light up behind him.

"A map?" Akefia said dully.

"A map!" Atem said, pushing his friend to the side.

"A map," the large man confirmed. "Of the wanders of the New World."

"Whoa," Atem said in awe, taking a step closer to the map that was still being held out for him to see. "Let's have a look, shall we?" Atem studied the map for a while, running his finger along the trail, before his eyes widened and a grin stretched across his face. He snatched the map from the man's hands and held it closer to his face.

"Akefia, look at this!" he said, grabbing his friend by the collar of his shirt and pulling him down to look at the map too.

Akefia cleared his throat. "Excuse us for one moment," he said, addressing the crowd that had formed to watch the game of dice.

"Akefia, do you know what this is?" Atem whispered excitedly. "It's a map to the legendary City of Gold! Can you believe it?" He went back to looking at the map as if it were made of gold itself. "This could be our destiny; fate!"

Akefia rolled his eyes. "Come on, Atem, we both know that if we believed in fate we wouldn't be playing with loaded dice!" he hissed out.

"Come on, Akefia!" Atem argued quietly.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I said...!" The large man came up and snatched the map out of their hands. "One more roll." He rolled the map back up and clutched it in his meaty fists. "My map against your cash."

Atem looked at Akefia pleadingly; Akefia sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he said.

Atem grinned, grabbing his dice and clenching them in his fist. "Alright, you're on."

The large man grinned. "No, I don't want to go up against you, Game King. I want to go up against your partner…Akefia." He pointed to the white-haired man and then reached into his pocket. "And we're using my dice."

Atem's eyes widened and he turned to Akefia worriedly.

"Got a problem with that?"

Akefia pursed his lips and pushed past Atem, snatching the dice from his friend's open hand and stuffing them in the inner pocket of his vest. He looked over his shoulder at Atem and dragged his finger across his neck, mouthing, "You are dead!"

The other man and his friends all laughed as the leader of their group tossed the map onto the pile of gold that was Akefia and Atem's winnings.

Akefia blew out a sigh and rolled the dice between his two closed hands. He mumbled to himself as he rolled the dice between his palms. "Come on, baby, papa needs that damn map."

He blew on the dice repeatedly and rattled them between his two closed hands again. "Alright, show me…seven," he said as threw the dice out of his hands and let them roll across the ground.

The whole area was quiet as everyone leaned forwards anxiously to see what the numbers on the dice would be. One immediately landed on three; everyone waited with baited breath as the second die rolled on one of its corners, spinning for what seemed to be forever.

Atem clamped a hand on his friend's shoulder; Akefia bit his lip as he prayed to every deity he knew.

The die stopped its spinning and the number facing up was a four.

There was a moment of silence as Akefia and Atem registered what just happened. When they did, they both cheered, throwing their arms up in the air and hugging each other quickly, singing, "Seven! Seven! Seven!" again and again and again.

Atem rushed to the pile of gold and snatched up the map. "Thank you very much!" he said, saluting to the previous owner of the map who had fallen to his knees and stared at the dice disbelievingly.

Akefia cackled, falling to his knees and scooping up the pile of gold they had collected as Atem continued to dance around with his new map. "Nice doing business with you," he said mockingly to the large man. As Akefia leaned forward to collect all of their winnings, he didn't notice the dice in his inner pocket fall out and roll onto the ground, landing on a seven.

The larger man's eyes widened when he saw this. He picked the dice up and dropped them; seven. Again; seven. Again; seven. His face became red with anger as he growled low in his throat. Akefia quickly picked up the dice and put them back in his pocket, abandoning the gold quickly.

"I knew it! You were using loaded dice the whole time!"

Atem looked from Akefia to the angry crowd of people before looking appalled. "You gave me loaded dice?" he asked, pointing a finger at Akefia. He backed up, away from his friend and ran right into an armored guard who did not look very happy. Atem turned to address the guard and said, "He gave me loaded dice! Guard, arrest him!"

Akefia raised an eyebrow and shoved Atem's shoulder. "You dare question my honor?" He turned to address the guard. "He was the one who was cheating! He tricked these men and took their money; arrest _him_!"

Atem gaped and shoved Akefia right back. "Now I'm the thief? Take a look in the mirror, pal!" he said, turning Akefia so he was facing the guard so he could see his reflection in the surface of the armor.

Akefia pushed Atem off of him. "I can't believe what I am hearing!" He pulled a sword from the guard's scabbard hanging on his belt. "Draw your sword! I request a fight!"

Atem backed up to another guard that had been watching the scene, drawing this man's sword from its scabbard. "Alright, but I won't go easy on you!"

Akefia narrowed his eyes and smirked. "I wasn't expecting you to."

"We will fight until there is only one man standing!" Atem declared before charging at Akefia who parried his attack. Their swords clashed, steel ringing and clinking. Their sword fight had drawn a crowd. People came out from their shops to watch and people passing by stopped and stared.

Akefia chased Atem up onto a roof, their swords still parrying and striking. People formed a crowd under them and gaped up at the two fighting men. People began to place bets on who would win and reacted to everything that happened in the battle.

Akefia slipped on a loose shingle and fell on his backside; some gasped and others cheered, calling out for Atem to finish him. While Akefia was on his back, he still swung his sword. He was quietly telling Atem, "Not the face! Not the face!"

Atem flipped the sword out of Akefia's hand and caught it by its hilt. He pointed his own sword at his friend's throat, ending the fight there. The watchers below gaped before half of them erupted in cheers and the others booed.

Akefia got up and bowed with Atem, as if they had just put on a theatrical performance. "Thank you, thank you! You have all been so kind," Akefia called to the crowd.

"But we have decided that it is a draw!" Atem said, tossing the swords back down to the guards below.

"Thank you all for coming, we'll see you soon," Akefia said, waving.

The crowd below gaped as they realized what had just happened and they erupted in angry shouts directed at the two con-artists. The two men waved before the jumped off the roof to the other side.

Akefia and Atem laughed as they landed, falling into a seated position.

"I must say, good show, my friend; very good," Atem said.

"Same to you, that was very well played out; you had me going there for a moment," Akefia said, chuckling.

"You are too kind," Atem said, laughing and wiping the sweat from his brow.

Their merry-making was disrupted when harsh, hot air was blown in their face. They both froze and turned their heads slowly, seeing a very angry bull before them, breathing harshly.

Atem's eyes widened and he curled up slightly, trying to hide his red shirt. "We probably should have kept those swords, huh?"

"Uh-huh," Akefia said, nodding his head slowly. "Okay, I have a plan," Akefia said quietly, trying not to catch the bull anymore off guard and have him suddenly attack them.

"What is it?" Atem said in an equally hushed tone.

"Okay, you pet him and I…" Akefia continued.

"Yeah?"

"Run!" Akefia shouted suddenly, jumping to his feet and running away from the bull.

Atem gaped; it took his mind a moment to register what had just happened but he quickly got to his feet and chased after Akefia, shouting, "Hey, thanks a lot!"

The bull's nostrils flared and it mooed harshly before giving chase.

The two men ran to the end of the pen, scrambling up the wooden wall. They almost launched over it but the bull rammed into the wall so hard that it knocked it out of place. Akefia and Atem quickly jumped off when the wall stopped skidding and continued to run.

Coming from the other direction was the angry crowd. They turned a corner quickly, nearly tripping and falling. The angry crowd stopped when they saw the bull and quickly ran away, forgetting about Akefia and Atem.

The two partners still continued to run down the enclosed street, jumping down steps, not even bothering to take them one at a time. The guards from early appeared in their path. Atem and Akefia didn't pay much attention to them. They entered through the door way in front of the guards and took an exit from behind them.

"Have a nice day!" Atem called over his shoulder.

The guards turned to give chase but then they noticed the charging bull; they jumped out of the way, fearing for their lives.

Atem and Akefia ran into a more open part of the street and jumped onto a pull cart and used that to jump onto a rooftop. They grabbed onto a clothes line and used it as a rope to swing from one roof to another as arrows were being shot at them.

They found themselves on the top of a guard watch tower overlooking the port.

They looked down over the edge and saw two open barrels full of water directly below them.

"I bet we can make that," Atem said, smiling cheekily and slightly winded.

Akefia looked over his shoulder and saw a group of guards quickly catching up. He turned back to his friend saying, "Two gold pieces says we can't."

Atem smirked; he jumped off the edge, crying, "You're on!" on his way down. A moment later, Akefia jumped as well, yelling as he fell. They both splashed into their own separate barrels.

"You lose," Atem said from his barrel.

Akefia flicked two gold pieces into the barrel beside his, the coins making a soft splashing sound. They both quickly put the lids on their barrels and what seemed to be a moment later, they were lifted up into the air.

Atem let out a shout of surprise. "What's going on?"

"We're both in barrels, that is the extent of my knowledge," Akefia said sarcastically.

They both felt them being dropped roughly onto a hard surface and then tipped over on their sides. Someone was rolling them; they both became tangled up in their own limbs and the water sloshed around them, almost choking them.

They were both brought back upright and Atem quickly poked the cork out of the hole in his barrel. Water rushed out and he gasped for air, pressing his mouth to the opening to breath in the air.

Akefia did the same thing and gasped for breath.

"Alright, Akefia, we have to move fast. On the count of three, we jump out and get off wherever we are," Atem said.

"Alright, sounds good; so, on three?"

"One…two…three!"

They both pushed on their lids but they wouldn't budge. They threw all their weight against it and pushed with all their might.

"Okay, one more time; one…two…three!"

There was still no movement; they were stuck there.

They tried that all day and into the night and they still couldn't get the lids off their barrels.

"Alright, Atem, let's try on more time."

"Alright, one…two…three!"

This time when they pushed on the lids of the barrels, they popped open and the two men stretched out to stand, smiling brightly…until they saw where they were. They were on the deck of the ship that was off to explore the New World.

The crew that was on deck looked at them strangely.

Atem and Akefia exchanged looks before they slowly crouched down back into the barrels, bringing their lids down with them. They laughed awkwardly as the crew continued to stare at them.

"Ahem…" Atem said awkwardly.

"Um, we were just…leaving," Akefia said, ducking so far into his barrel that only his eyes were peaking out.

* * *

Atem and Akefia found themselves before Ushio in shackles as Ushio stared down at them angrily.

"My crew was as carefully selected as the gods chosen people," he said, cracking his knuckled. "I will not tolerate stowaways."

Akefia and Atem gulped.

"You will be flogged," Ushio commanded. "And when we put into Cuba to resupply, as the gods as my witness, you will flogged some more. And then you will be enslaved on the bank of Nile as farmers where you will live out the rest of your miserable lives there until you die of a heat stroke." He turned away from the two men. "To the brig."

Two other guards pulled Akefia and Atem up to their feet. Akefia had his head hung down in shame but Atem was smiling. "Hey, you always said you wanted to go to Cuba!"

Akefia gave Atem a look that spoke, "So help me, I will kill you where you stand."

Atem gulped. "Not a good time for jokes, I presume?"

Akefia shook his head.

-/-

**Ranko: And there is chapter 1!**

**Ryou: Where am I? **

**Yuugi: Where am I?**

**Ranko: Patience, children!**

**Bakura: That wasn't how Egypt was like at all during that time. **

**Yami: Are you stupid or something?  
**

**Ranko: In many other aspects I am stupid, but not when it comes to history. I do realize that is not what Egypt was like back then and they never sailed out to discover the New World, that was Spain. However, I had to do it for the story to make sense and I have seen many other authors in this archive take a sort of creative license when it came to their setting so I was like, "Why not?"**

**Yuugi: Review!**

**Ryou: Leave a part that you liked, what you didn't like, grammar/spelling mistakes, constructive criticism, what you want to see next; anything you want! Ranko loves feedback!**

**Ranko: See you! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Ranko: Oh my, goodness! So many positive responses to this story! I'm so happy that you all liked the first chapter that much!**

**Yami: This chapter is going to be a little slower. **

**Yuugi: Stop lying to the reader's, Yami! …Is it, Ranko?**

**Ranko: I don't know. **

**Bakura: We put our fate into the hands of someone who doesn't know what the hell she is doing. We're all screwed. **

**Ranko: You should have realized this a while ago. **

**Yami: Everyone really likes Atem and Akefia. **

**Ranko: I know, right?**

**Ryou: When will I be coming in?**

**Ranko: I am hoping next chapter, darling, but for now, it is time to answer reviews!**

**GirlsRule2013:**** Because…I'm awesome? ;) I'm just kidding, I'm not that conceited…hmm ;)**

**Aly Goode:**** I'm so glad that you liked it so much, darling! Ryou will be showing up earlier than you thought he would but I don't know about Yuugi yet. I kind of like their relationship too. It is fun to write :)**

**LuckyKoneko:**** Aw! You are so sweet! It is just the perfect combination. I am glad that you are concerned, but don't worry, I already thought all of that out. There will be differences, but not as big of differences that I think you will be expecting. It is kind of strange of the YGO fandom does a crossover like what I'm doing, because it is most always like what it is based off of with tweaks here and there to fit with the fandom. Thanks for the review ;)**

**VortexValkyrie:**** No, its fine, from what I can see on my end, you were logged in when you reviewed. I love Akefia and Atem's relationship XD And thank you so much for understanding!**

**The Bride of constant Vigil:**** You know, I loved your review, it was very interesting (no sarcasm intended). I might have to read that book because now I don't feel as dumb for setting the story in Egypt! And don't worry about it, I love blabber! And thank you so much for the compliment, it made me smile :)**

**MistyDuskDark:**** It is against my policy to reveal spoilers but I can say that you are not very far off the mark ;) Thank you so much for the review and the support; you are awesome!**

**Wolfgirl:**** Yeah, neither can I ^^**

**Mana's Madness:**** Yeah, I think I know which one you are talking about. I remember reading something like that when I was a little younger so I had no idea how something like mobiumshipping work. I always laugh a little when I look back on my younger self. Thanks for the review, darling!**

**Ryou: Since Ranko is exhausted right now, we are going to do the disclaimer really quickly and get right into the story!**

**Yami: When is Ranko not exhausted?**

**Ranko: I have a valid reason this time!**

**Bakura: What is it?**

**Ranko: Um…**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Enjoy, my lovelies, while I sleep!**

-/-

While Atem had to admit that watching Akefia bang his head repeatedly against a wooden plank until there was a dent in it was highly amusing, but it also wasn't helping them get out of the situation they were in.

They had been tossed in the brig the previous night when they had been discovered on the ship; they weren't even allowed to testify for themselves. They were both running on very little sleep and empty stomachs.

On deck, Atem could hear Alexis's stomping her hooves.

He heard someone chuckle and then say, "Sorry, Alexis, no apples for you. I have been told you are on a strict diet."

A moment later, a bright red apple fell through the bars and right into Atem's lap. He looked at the fruit longingly, licking his lips and hearing his stomach growling. He heard Alexis's stomp her hooves and neigh again and an idea began to form in his head.

He tucked the apple into the inside pocket of his shirt and crawled over to Akefia who was still completely oblivious and adding to the scrapes and bruises on his face.

Atem pursed his lips and leaned down on his elbows, resting his chin in his hands. "So…how is the escape plan coming?" he asked, absentmindedly playing with a piece of straw on the floor.

Akefia stopped what he was doing. He picked his head up and Atem noticed that a nice looking black eye had formed. "Alright, I'm getting something, I'm getting…" He turned around and banged his head a few more times; Atem rolled his eyes.

Akefia stopped again and looked off into the middle-distance; he was grinning and had one of his infamous smirks gracing his lips. "Alright, I got it; I've got it this time," he said. He joined Atem on the floor and leaned in close to his friend, as if he were about to tell him a big secret.

"Okay, here's what we do," Akefia said. "In the dead of night, we grab all the provisions we can, high-jack a long boat and then row back to Egypt like there is no tomorrow!" He wore a satisfied grin, very proud of the plan that he formed in his state of mind.

Atem was not so impressed. He opened his mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. That's it, his friend had finally gone off the deep end. "We…we sail back to Egypt?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Akefia nodded. "That's right."

Atem made a face. "In a rowboat?"

"Technically they're called longboats," Akefia corrected.

Atem knitted his eyebrows together. "Great, sensational; and that is the extent of your plan?"

Akefia nodded proudly. "You got it!"

Atem nodded slowly. He then smiled, just to amuse Akefia. "Well, I like it; I think that it's a great idea! Now, tell me this; how do we get on deck?"

Akefia opened his mouth to respond and then he finally realized the error in his plan. He thought this over for a moment, rubbing his black eye tenderly. "Alright, I see where you're going with this…"

Atem thanked every god he knew that Akefia was finally coming to his senses and then his friend said this…

"So here's what we do; in the dead of night, we sneak on deck, grab all the provisions we can…" Akefia continued to say.

Atem gaped. "Great," he said sarcastically.

Akefia stopped and groaned, giving his friend a look. "Alright, I give up! What's your idea, smart guy? Tell me what you think we should do to get out of this mess!" he said.

Akefia wasn't expecting Atem to actually have an answer for him, so when he saw his friend smirk and pull an apple out from his shirt he knew that he was in for it. "I'm so glad you asked, my friend," Atem said.

He stood up and pulled Akefia up with him. "Okay, give me a boost."

"What?" Akefia asked. "Me boost you up? Are you insane? I'm not doing that."

Atem gave Akefia a look. "Oh, yeah? So you would rather high-jack a long boat in the middle of the night?"

Akefia snarled. "Fine," he said bitterly, crouching down so Atem could get on his shoulders. He hefted Atem up so he could stick his arms through the bars.

Atem whistled and made clicking noises, gaining Alexis's attention. "Hey, Alexis; Alexis!" The horse noticed the apple that was catching the light of the setting sun. She stared at it hungrily and began to slowly walk over to it, like she was in a trance.

"You want to nice apple?"

The horse slowly leaned its neck down to grab the fruit with her teeth but it was drawn back from her before she could get to it.

"But you have to do a trick for me first."

Alexis took a few steps back, growing suspicious but that did look like an awfully nice apple…

"All you have to do is find me a pry-bar. A long iron bar with a hooky thing on the end. You think you can do that for me?" The horse moved her large head up and down in response. "Thank you, Alexis. Go on and find the pry-bar."

Akefia groaned; he couldn't believe he had any relationship with this man. "Atem, you do realize that you are talking to a horse, don't you? It doesn't understand what pry-bar is!" he whispered harshly. "She's a dumb horse, she can't understand…"

Before Akefia could finish his sentence, something was dropped through the bars and made a clanking sound when it hit the floor. When they looked down, they saw it was a ring of keys and one of those keys, opened the hatch to the brig.

Atem smirked at Akefia.

Akefia scoffed. "It's not a pry-bar," was all he said.

Later that night, Atem slowly closed the hatch to the brig, flinching when it squeaked and shut it close even more carefully. While he was doing this, Akefia was loading their long-boat with food and water for their travel. Everyone was asleep and they only had a small interval of time before one of the sailors came back to watch the deck for the night shift.

Atem tiptoed over to Akefia when suddenly he felt someone nudge his back. He flinched, thinking that it may be a sailor, but instead he saw Alexis. He petted her nose and made soft cooing noises. "Aw, Alexis, thank you so much, girl. If I can ever do anything to repay the favor…"

He heard Akefia groan from the longboat. He was already set up to lower the boat into the water. "Come on, Atem, she's a ruthless warhorse! Not a pet! Now come on!" he said urgently.

Atem turned around to watch to the railing of the ship. He turned around and saluted to Alexis. "Goodbye, my friend," he said, before jumping over the railing into the longboat.

The horse trotted over to the railing, neighing and whinnying, watching Atem as his boat was lowered down further to the sea.

"What's wrong with her?" Akefia asked.

Atem snapped his fingers and pulled the apple out of his shirt pocket. "She wants this," he said, finally realizing this.

Akefia slapped a hand over his face. "Well hurry up and throw it up to her before she wakes the whole ship!" he whispered harshly. Without giving Atem any chance to respond, Akefia snatched the apple out of his hands and threw it straight up to the horse. "There!" he cried. "Now come on," Akefia said to Atem.

What Akefia didn't know was that he threw the apple exactly vertically up in the air and it landed down at exactly the same angle it was thrown. It thunked on to the floor of the boat and a moment later, Alexis jumped off the ship and followed the apple.

Atem and Akefia realized this too late and the next thing they knew, they had a horse in their boat and the weight caused them to fall to the ocean at an alarming speed. They screamed on our way down as they lost purchase on the rope. They splashed into the water and the force caused them to flip over.

Atem and Akefia and Alexis broke through the surface of the water; their boat was over their heads. Alexis was neighing and whinnying, kicking her legs frantically.

"Loop the rope under the horse!" Akefia cried, tossing the rope to Atem.

"Got it!" he called back. He dove under the water, nearly missing have his head smashed in from Alexis's kicks under the water. He swam over to the other side and pulled himself up to stand on the belly of the boat, rope still in hand. Akefia struggled to get out of the water and onto the boat with Atem; Atem grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him up.

Akefia grabbed part of the rope as well and commanded to Atem, "Okay, on the count of three, pull back on the rope!" he yelled over the harsh sea wind and thrashing waves.

"What?" Atem called.

Akefia saw a shadow looming over them and saw that it was another ship that was a part of the Egyptian expedition party and they were in its path. "Three!" He pulled back hard and he hoped that Atem was doing the same thing. "Pull!"

Then they were again being submerged in the icy cold water. The boat had been pulled right side up but many of their previsions had fallen out. Akefia had broken through the surface of the water but Atem was still underwater. Akefia pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked around frantically. "Atem? Atem!"

Atem was slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean. His foot had been caught in the rope and the rope had caught on to a box of food they had brought with them; that was pulling him down. He was tugging frantically at the rope but he could barely see anything and black was slowly starting to creep into his vision.

Something bright like the sun came into his field of vision. All he could really see was a pink fin and golden blonde hair. He felt like someone was loosening his binds and then an arm around his waist, pulling him up closer to the surface and then pushing him up when they got closer.

He broke through and he felt the cold breeze touch his face. He realized that he was above the water again and sucked in a few deep breaths of air; blessed, blessed air.

"Atem!" He heard someone call his name and then arms wrap around him again and pull him onto something solid. He felt someone push on his chest and he coughed up mouthfuls of water. Atem groaned and rested his head back on the floor of what he realized was his boat. He peeled his eyes open and saw the face of his best friend above him.

"Akefia…" he said weakly.

Akefia sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the gods above," Akefia said. "You're alright."

"I…I am?" Atem asked, not completely sure. His head was still pounding.

"What happened to you?" Akefia asked.

"I…I'm not completely sure," Atem said. "My foot…it got tangled up in some rope and it was pulling me down and then…" His mind flashed back to right when he was about to pass out. He saw the sun and then golden hair and a pink tail, which he still didn't completely understand. He remembered thin arms wrap around his torso and pull him up.

Akefia shook his head. "That's not important, all that matters is that you're still alive; I thought I lost you."

Atem coughed again. "Yeah, me too."

"So, now what do we do?" Akefia asked, sighing and running his fingers through his wet hair. "We're in a row boat, we have no food or water, and we have a horse."

Atem sat up slowly and leaned forward. "We start rowing," he said.

Akefia and Atem rowed for days. They soon found out that they had no idea where they were in the ocean or what direction they were heading. They rowed through storms and thrashing waves. They endured hunger and thirst in the scorching hot weather. They rowed in circles, their minds long affected from the lack of food and intense climate.

Then they just sat in the middle of the ocean, just drifting.

"Akefia…did you ever imagine that it would end like this?" he asked weakly, his voice hoarse and tired.

Akefia thought for a moment and then said, "The horse is a surprise."

"Any regrets?" Atem asked.

"Besides dying?" Akefia asked.

"Uh-huh."

"I regret…" Akefia thought of his answer for a moment. "Never having enough…gold," he said, beginning to sob.

"My regret," Atem said weakly, "is that our greatest adventure is over before it began and no one will even remember us." He took a deep shuddering breath and said, "Akefia, I just want to say, thank you for being my friend and making every day an adventure." He began to sob.

"Atem," Akefia said. "Thank you for being my friend and making my life…richer."

They both cried silently as Alexis rolled her eyes at them.

They both sighed and their free hands fell out of the boat. They expected to feel the familiar touch of water, but instead, when they lifted their hand, there was a mound of golden, grainy sand.

It took a moment for their hazed, heat-ridden, starved minds to realize what it was. When they did, they both gasped and shred equally excited looks before they jumped out of the boat, tripping on wobbling legs, and began to dance around, shouting gleefully. "It's land!" they cried.

Alexis jumped out with them and exercised her legs as her two new masters got down on their knees and kissed the ground thankfully. Akefia and Atem kissed the ground, until they looked straight into the hollowed eyes of a skull. They screamed an octave higher than their voice ranges and backed away quickly, kicking up sand as they rose to their feet, brushing off their tongues.

On the beach were two human skeletons with swords sticking out of their ribcages.

"All in favor of getting back to the boat say aye."

"Aye!" they both cried simultaneously.

Akefia quickly turned around and dashed off back to the boat, grabbing Alexis's reigns and pulling her back. Atem was not as quick. He was about to run off just as quickly when he noticed a familiar looking statue not to far off.

He stopped and turned fully back around to look at it properly. Just to make sure he was seeing things correctly he pulled out the map to the City of Gold that was won in the dice game.

"Hey, Atem! I could use a little help!" Akefia called from the boat, fighting with Alexis over an oar. "Atem!" He noticed how his friend was rooted to his spot in the sand and there seemed to be something in his hands. "Hey, Atem," he said, grabbing his friend's shoulder and turning him around.

Atem was smiling brightly. "Akefia, we've done it!" he cried joyfully.

Akefia raised his eyebrows when he realized what was in Atem's hands. "Is that the map?"

"It's all right here!" Atem said, ignoring Akefia.

"You still have the map?"

"The eagle rock! And…and there's the stream!"

"You kept the map but you couldn't be bothered to grab a little extra food?" Akefia cried out angrily.

"Even the damn mountains!" Atem said, laughing in glee. "You said so yourself, it could be possible! And it is! It really is true! The map to the City of Gold!"

Akefia did not look as ecstatic or amused as Atem. "You drank the sea water didn't you?" he asked bluntly, not bothering himself with the unbelieving look on Atem's face.

"Oh, come on!" Atem cried exasperatedly. "Are you kidding me?"

Akefia raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "No, I am not kidding you! Let's say there is such a thing as the City of Gold, I still wouldn't step foot in that jungle for ten thousand gold pieces!" With that said, he stalked back to the boat.

He didn't notice the grin on Atem's face as he said, "How about a hundred million?"

Akefia stopped short; he looked over his shoulder and raised a critical eyebrow. "What?"

"You know, the City of Gold is named that way for a reason. Dust, nuggets, bricks, a temple of gold where you can pluck gold from the walls, but you don't want to go and as you friend I respect your decision so let's just get back on the boat and row back to Egypt," Atem said, walking back to the boat slowly.

Akefia shot out his hand and grabbed Atem's shirt before he could walk any farther.

"Hold on, buddy, new plan," he said, smirking. "We find the City of Gold, we take the gold, and _then_ we row back to Egypt."

Atem grinned widely and nodded. "Or we can just buy Egypt! Become the Pharaohs!" He ran back over to the skeletons and pulled out one of the swords. "Let's follow that trail!" he announced nobly.

Akefia raised an eyebrow, grabbing Alexis by her reigns and leading her back over; she resisted and pulled back, for some reason she didn't like Akefia that very much. "What trail is that exactly?" he asked.

"The trail we blaze!" his friend said, pushing back a wall of ivy to reveal…a rock wall.

There was a heavy silence that loomed over them for a few moments. "Um…" Atem said, trying to find out a way to fix his little screw up. "_That_ trail we blaze!" he said again, slicing down another wall of ivy and thankfully this time it revealed an open path.

Alexis shook her head and tried to walk back to the boat, but Akefia pulled at her reigns again to stop her. "Oh, no, I don't think so," he said.

Alexis grunted irritably and nipped Akefia on the butt.

"Ow! You damn horse!"

"Why do you always have to blame everything on Alexis? She did nothing to you!"

"Bullshit! She bit me on the butt!"

"Then you must have done something to upset her."

-/-

**Ryou: Ranko still asleep. **

**Yuugi: Yep. **

**Ryou: Yami and Bakura too tired from what happened this chapter?**

**Yuugi: Yep. **

**Ryou: Well, I guess its just the two of us then. We really hoped that you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Yuugi: And we also really hope that our characters make an appearance next chapter!**

**Ryou: So review if you feel like it and make sure to give us feedback!**

**Yuugi: See you guys next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ranko: First off, let me just say that a lot of you are going to hate me for the rest of your lives. **

**Bakura: Well, you've done some pretty bitching things in your stories so I think they already hate you. **

**Ranko: What have I done?**

**Ryou: Killing me.**

**Yami: Killing me. **

**Yuugi: Almost having me raped by Yami.**

**Ranko: Alright, I see your point. **

**Ryou: But why else is everyone going to hate you?**

**Ranko: Well, you see, while this story is based off of the Road to El Dorado, it will not be a musical. That means no singing, not even my favorite song which is: It's tough to be a god. **

**Yuugi: That's not too bad. **

**Ranko: Obviously you did not know my reviewers as well as I do. **

**Bakura: You don't either. **

**Ranko: That is…only partially true. **

**Yami: Speaking of reviews. **

**Ranko: Oh yes! I want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter and anyone who followed/favorited this story. I love you all, you're all awesome and I hope that you will continue to support me!**

**Mana's Madness:**** I know, right! Akefia and Atem's relationship is so great, I love it! And Alexis is just plain awesome! I mean, what gets better than a horse with an attitude? I can't think of much. I really hope that you enjoy Ryou and Yuugi's roles because I have it all planned out and it is going to be fun!**

**GirlsRuler2013:**** Thank you for appreciating the humor in Atem's statement ;) That made my day right there. Yes, mermaids, because they're awesome like that! Also because there is a little surprise twist behind that scene which will be revealed later!**

**VortexValkyrie:**** I sorry? I have always had a bad habit of making chapters too short. While I appreciate the title "Queen of Crossovers" I personally believe that that title belongs to Magi Magi Magician Gal ;)**

**MistyDuskDark:**** Hmm…maybe, maybe not ;) It could have been Jounouchi or Malik, or it may not have been. Continue to read and find out! I am sorry to disappoint you but as I mentioned above, there will be no singing in this one :( I sorry, darling!**

**Ryou: Ranko twin owns nothing!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

Atem and Akefia road through the jungle on Alexis for days, taking breaks to bathe and eat. They followed the landmarks on the map and grew more excited as they realized that they were nearing an end to their journey and getting closer to the City of Gold.

On their last day, they found themselves on Alexis's back, walking through a rocky plain that was layered with morning fog and mist rolling from a distant water fall.

"I don't understand," Atem said, looking up from the map to look around. "According to the map, we should be there by now. The only thing that is left is…" Atem furrowed his eyebrows together and looked back down at the map. "What is this?"

"Let me see," Akefia said, reaching behind him to grab the map from Atem. The last landmark was a strange rectangular shape with the picture of some kind of serpent on it. It didn't make sense, but then again, neither did this whole trip. If someone were to ask him what he thought his life would be like, he wouldn't answer being held captive by the Egyptian navy, befriending _horse_, and then searching for the legendary City of Gold that was probably not even real.

"Listen, Atem," Akefia began, running his fingers through his hair tiredly. "It is obvious that we are not—"

"What's that?" Atem asked, cutting his friend off; he obviously hadn't heard a word Akefia said.

Akefia sighed. "Never mind…"

Atem was pointing to something in the far distance, how he even made it out in the fog, Akefia didn't know. It looked like it was a ball and it was just jumping up and down. Atem's eyes never left the mysterious object as he jumped off Alexis and ran to see what it was.

Akefia gaped after his friend. "Atem! Come back, we don't know what that is! It could be dangerous!" At the sound of 'dangerous' Alexis frantically began to stomp as she also realized the possible danger of Atem going over their; for once, Akefia and the horse were on the same page.

Again, Atem paid no mind to them. He continued to approach it with a kind of cautious curiosity. As he got closer he realized that it wasn't a ball, it was more like an animal. It had brown fur and what looked like small claws on its paws. He heard a cooing sound coming from and Atem crouched down low, observing it from a safe distance. He still wasn't completely sure what it was but it noticed him because through the fog he saw bright green eyes.

What the…?

It let out another cooing sound, turned around and began to hop away. Atem's eyebrows shot up in surprise. What was it doing? He quickly pounced, hoping to catch it but it was quicker than that and Atem just ended up sprawled out across the rocks.

"Oh, now you're asking for it," he said to himself as he began to chase after the furry demon.

"Atem! Stop acting like an idiot and get back on the horse!" Akefia called. Just as he expected, Atem ignored him. He watched in amusement as his best friend chased after the fast creature, tripping often and falling on his face as he pounced for it. Soon though, Akefia lost sight of him through the fog and he couldn't hear Atem's frustrated shouts.

"Atem?" he called nervously; Alexis was pacing. "Atem!" he called again, this time more worrisome as he spurred Alexis into a trot to try and catch up with his friend.

Thankfully, the noise of Atem's shouts and the cooing returned. Akefia soon realized that the thing must be playing with Atem.

Meanwhile, Atem continued to chase the little guy around, refusing to give up and answer Akefia's calls. He wanted to know what it was! Finally, the thing stopped in front of a large rock and just sat there, patiently waiting for Atem; it seemed to be smiling at him.

Atem grinned triumphantly and scooped the thing up in his arms quickly. "Gotcha!" he cried. He noticed that it was indeed furry and rather soft; it was some kind of animal, just now animal that Atem had seen before. It stared at him with happy green eyes as it cooed in his arms and jumped around in excitement. Atem had to hold it tighter so it wouldn't fall.

He laughed as it flailed its clawed paws around frantically. Atem just laughed. "What is it, little guy?" he asked. He laughed at the eager expression on the thing's face and it was then that Atem finally turned and saw the rock the creature stopped in front of. His mouth fell open in shock.

"A-Akefia…" Atem said weakly, his voice taken from him by surprise. "Akefia!" he cried again when he got his bearings.

He heard the approaching sound of Alexis and then he felt Akefia's presence beside him. "What is it, Atem?" he asked.

Atem didn't say a word; he just pointed.

Akefia raised a quizzical eyebrow and looked in the direction of Atem's finger; he gaped as well. The two friends just stood there, almost shell-shocked as they took in the sight before them.

It was a depiction of two male figures riding on something that resembled a serpent.

Atem excitedly snatched the map from Akefia's hands as the latter began to look around, past the rock and studying the rock itself. Atem looked from the map to the rock and then back to the map. He let out a loud shout of excitement. "We did it! We found it! I can't believe it!" He continued to shout and jump in joy.

Akefia crossed his arms over his chest and looked impatiently at his partner.

"So where is it?" Atem asked Akefia. "Is it behind the rock?"

Akefia shook his head.

"Then where…?" Atem asked.

Akefia rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "There is no City of Gold, Atem. Just as I suspected too. I knew that it was nothing but a fairytale." He grabbed Alexis's reins and began to turn her around.

Atem looked back down at the map again and then looked back around, the mysterious creature sitting by his feet. "I…I don't understand. We followed the landmarks. It has to be here somewhere, I know it has to. This was supposed to be our fate!"

Akefia hopped onto Alexis's back. "Well, something must have gotten lost in translation because there is no City of Gold here. I told you it was a stupid idea, Atem. I knew that there was no such thing as destiny…" he said more to himself than Atem.

"No!" Atem said persistently. "This can't be right! The City of Gold is supposed to be right here! I refused to believe otherwise!"

Akefia sighed. "Oh, for the love of…! Atem just get on the damn horse so we can go home!" he snapped out impatiently.

Atem snarled. "No! We've come all this way and…!"

"Atem…!"

Out of no where, a small figure came running around the rock. The person was obviously in a hurry and did not see Atem standing there. The next thing they knew, they were both on the ground and Alexis was startled; she quickly backed up, whinnying.

Atem looked up into a pair of doe brown eyes, white hair falling in front of the boy's face. He was unbelievably pale and had delicate features, much like a girl's. For a man, Atem had to admit that he was beautiful.

The boy jumped with a start and quickly got off of Atem, running over to a small bundle that he dropped when he fell, as Akefia pulled his friend up onto Alexis. He began to back Alexis up and spur her into a gallop away from the boy but they were quickly surrounded by what appeared to be an army who were holding very sharp spears.

Alexis whinnied again and reared back on her hind legs, kicking out at the army in fear. The men were just as pale as the white-haired boy and they were dressed in strange clothes. The quickly backed up away from the horse and held their spears before them in a way of defense.

The man who appeared to be the captain looked down at the white-haired boy and his eyes immediately went to the bundled held closely to his chest. The boy noticed where the captain's gaze had fallen and looked around frantically, as if searching for a way to escape this situation.

Finally, he passed the round bundle to Akefia who caught it in surprise. The army's gaze quickly switched to Akefia and the man realized what was going on. With a growl he threw it back down to the boy. However, the boy was fierce and wouldn't give up easily and passed it back to Akefia like it was a ball.

This passing went on for a while and the army continued to watch the procession of the still mysterious bundle.

Akefia got distracted by the fuzzy brown thing that kept cooing; it was obviously cheering for one side but Akefia couldn't tell which. The boy threw it at Akefia and it knocked him on the side of the head, making a clanking sound; it bounced off his head and fell to the ground, rolling back to the boy's side.

Akefia glared at the boy who was still just sitting there on the ground; Akefia noticed that the boy was avoiding eye contact.

Akefia and Atem looked over to the army that seemed to be waiting for something. Akefia cleared his throat and laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry, is…is this your rock? Um, we were just looking and, you see, what we were doing was…uh, we were just leaving, so bye now!"

The captain looked unamused by this, if he even understood Akefia. He pointed his spear at Akefia's throat and the man let out a rather high pitched squeak as Atem gulped.

"Isn't that lovely, Akefia? They have spears."

The captain gestures with his spear to follow him and the small army marched out towards the waterfall. Akefia and Atem followed hesitantly on their horse as two of the men grabbed the white-haired boy and dragged him up to walk. The small creature cooed almost nervously and bounced along behind them.

One of the men tried to grab the bundle in the boy's arms but he quickly pulled it out of his reach, glaring at him and holding it close to his chest again.

As they neared the waterfall, the mist became thicker and it made Atem's hair fall slightly. Atem couldn't help but notice how the army kept looking at him a bit warily.

"Akefia, where are we going?" Atem asked as he realized that there was no more path to follow and they were just heading straight towards the waterfall.

Just then, the captain walked right through the curtain of water.

Akefia and Atem gaped. "I guess that answers your question?" Akefia asked.

Inside the waterfall, there was a deep, magnificent cavern with columns that were engraved with strange markings and beautiful pictures that depicted an ancient story. Akefia and Atem hopped off of Alexis and all three of them were directed to a small boat that they would be traveling in.

Akefia and Atem said down and Akefia scowled when he saw the white-haired boy sitting across from him. One soldier rowed the boat they were on and the rest got on their own boat. They paddled through the dark cavern which was bigger than Atem or Akefia anticipated it to be.

The fuzzy brown creature cooed and jumped on the white-haired boy's lap which disturbed the cloth that was wrapped around the bundle. Atem and Akefia caught a sheen on gold before the boy quickly covered it back up.

Light shined behind their heads and the two partners turned around and saw a that they were passing through an archway and into a golden, glowing light. The two men gaped and stared as they realized where they were.

"The City of Gold," the both said in a hushed awe.

It truly was the City of Gold. The homes were highlighted with gold and the temples shined from the sun. The water glistened under them like a perfect sheet of glass. Atem looked over the edge excitedly and saw mermaids and different kinds of fish he had never seen before. This couldn't be real.

Everything was shining with a golden glow from the sun and the plant life was green and fresh. The water was clear and clean as it sprung from two columns over them and flowed into the river. They continued to drift along and they saw more of the city as they went which was, of course, built out of gold. In the distance was a volcano that was situated behind the center temple.

As they floated along, everyone stopped and stared at Akefia and Atem. They stared in awe, in shock, in wander. And they were all just as pale as the others they had seen. They came out of their homes just to watch them as they went by.

They finally came to a stop at the golden steps of the center most temple which was also the largest. The captain quickly jumped off and ran to a small temple that was off to the side as another soldier that was standing on the steps, just as much in awe as everyone else, snapped himself out of it and ran in the other direction to a rather small hut.

Akefia and Atem were helped out of the boat and everyone made a wide circle around them, careful of not getting too close to them. A rather large crowd had formed and gathered on the platform below the temple.

The guards took the white haired boy and pushed him onto the steps.

Akefia quickly grabbed Alexis's reigns and the two jumped onto her back. They were guided them over to the bottom of the steps of the temple. Akefia gulped and leaned in to say in Atem's ear, "Just want to let you know, it has been an honor working with you, partner."

Atem gulped as well and said, "Thanks."

Akefia blinked in surprise at Atem's curt response and growled into his friend's ear to let him know he was angry.

Standing on a landing of the temple steps above them was a tall man dressed in white temple robes and long, mint green hair.

In a booming voice, he addressed the large crowd that had formed. "Behold! As the prophecies foretold, the time of judgment is now!

Akefia and Atem gasped in fright.

A rather elderly man and a young boy pushed through the crowds and began to walk up the steps to join the green haired man. As the boy passed Alexis, Atem couldn't help but notice how similar they looked, despite his head being down. He looked like a child in size, really.

The elderly man stood by the green-haired man and gestures for him to continue.

"Citizens!" he announce, beginning to walk down the steps. "Did I not predict that the gods would come to us?"

Akefia raised an eyebrow and looked behind him. Was this man talking about them?

"My lords," he said humbly, bowing low. "My name is Dartz; high priest and speaker for the gods."

After what seemed like a very long, awkward silence, Akefia waved and said, "Hey."

"How's it going?" Atem asked weakly.

The elderly man descended the stairs and smiled kindly at the two men atop the horse. "Hello, I am Chief Suguroku." The young boy was at the elderly man's side, his head still down. "And this is my eldest grandson, Yuugi." At that point, Yuugi finally looked up and Atem couldn't understand how a boy could be _that_ beautiful.

His skin was probably whiter than everyone else's. His hair was indeed the same as Atem's but that was about it. He had child like features, very innocent and naïve, but wise at the same time. And his eyes were like amethyst jewels, more beautiful than the entire city. Akefia hit Atem's arm and that snapped him out of it.

"Very nice to meet you," Yuugi said in a soft voice, like bells.

Suguroku smiled again. "And what might we call you?"

Akefia and Atem exchanged glances and then jumped off the horse, trying to look heroic but Atem nearly tripped and fell on his face. "My name is Atem."

"And I am Akefia."

Atem tried to hide his little slip up and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "They call us Atem and Akefia!"

"It is an honor to be able to live to see this prophesized day," Suguroku said, bowing. "But how long will you be staying in our humble city?"

The white haired boy peaked his head out from behind Alexis and Dartz spotted him before Atem or Akefia had a chance to answer. "Ah-hah!" He reached the boy in three long strides and grabbed his thin arm, dragging him out into the open.

Yuugi's hands flew to his mouth. "Ryou…"

Dartz snatched the bundle from Ryou's hands and held it away from him. "I see that you have also found this temple robbing thief. How will you want us to punish him?"

Ryou quickly shook his head. "Oh no, there's no need for that! You see, I…um, I! I am not a thief. Uh, I…the gods! They sent me a vision to bring them tribute from the temple to guide them here!"

Dartz raised an eyebrow. "Is this true?" he asked Akefia and Atem.

Suguroku sighed. "Yes, it is true," he said. "Now just let the boy go; he meant no harm by it."

Dartz scowled and released Ryou's arm. "Fine, but he will be returning this to its rightful place in the temple," he said, shoving the bundle back in Ryou's arms.

Ryou beamed at Suguroku. "Bless you!" he cried before dashing up the steps.

It was at that moment that Akefia realized the boy was barefoot.

"My lords, why now have you chosen to visit us?" Suguroku asked curiously.

Dartz sighed in frustration. "Enough!" he cried. "You do no question the gods!"

"That's right!" Atem said in a loud voice so everyone could hear him. "Do not question us! Or else you will force us to unleash our awesome and powerful wrath!"

Akefia patted his friend on the shoulder. "And trust me, you do not want that to happen."

Dartz looked like he wanted to just run his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Of course we do! Show this non-believer your judgment! Show us the proof of your divinity!"

Akefia raised an eyebrow. "Right, our divinity. Hey, will you give us a moment?" he asked. He looped his arm around Atem's shoulder and guided him away from the high priest and chief.

"Atem, they want us to show our divinity. What are we going to do?"

"Why are you asking me? You're the one with the plans!"

"You're the one who got carried away!"

"I'm sorry, you know, it was the moment!"

"How are we going to explain to these people that we really aren't gods? If they find out than they will have our heads on a golden platter!"

"I thought it was a silver platter?"

Akefia began to boil over with anger and so did the volcano.

"Do not question me right now, Atem. I'm really on the edge!"

"What's wrong with playing gods for a while, huh?"

"I can think of a number of good reasons!"

"You just need to relax, Akefia."

"No, I will not relax!"

Smoke began to billow out and the volcano quaked. Volcanic rock and lava spit out of the top.

"If it wasn't for you and your stupid map we wouldn't even be in this situation!"

"Oh, so it's my fault again? You know, no matter what we do, you always pin the blame on me. I don't understand how I am still friends with you when you always treat me like dirt and…"

"Atem…"

"You never listen to me…"

"Atem…"

"You don't care, do you?"

"Alright, stop!" Akefia shouted at the top of his lungs.

The volcano halted all activity and against nature, the smoke and lava and rocks were sucked back in.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Akefia said more quietly. "Let's just explain to them what happened and try and get out of here alive, deal?"

"Deal," Atem confirmed.

They both turned around and saw everyone was bowing down to them.

"Uh…" Atem said awkwardly.

"Let me show you to your temple, my lords," Dartz said.

Akefia nodded slowly. "Right, our temples…" He leaned in closer to Atem and whispered, "What did we just do?"

Atem shrugged helplessly and they followed the chief and high priest up the steps to the temple.

-/-

**Ranko: And that is chapter three!**

**Ryou: Hope you enjoyed!**

**Yuugi: Hope you weren't disappointed!**

**Bakura: Now let's hope that Ranko updates on her other stories now. **

**Yami: Review and tell Ranko what you thought!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ranko: I will not give up on this story because it is too freaking cute!**

**Bakura: Just because Ryou is in it. **

**Ranko: Stop being a devoted lover, Bakura! It freaks me out when you do that!**

**Ryou: I don't mind. **

**Ranko: Of course you don't!**

**Yuugi: Why aren't you like that towards me, Yami?**

**Yami: Because Ranko is a bitch. **

**Ryou: Well that was rude. **

**Ranko: But true, for some reason, every time I write them, they come out hating each other's guts with some drama thrown in there. I can't write normal!**

**Bakura: That last sentence wasn't even normal. **

**Ranko: Shut up, slave!**

**Yuugi: Ranko's gone insane. **

**Yami: You just no realized this?**

**Ranko: The voices in my head won't go away!**

**Yami: Calm down, Ranko! Its just the reviewers!**

**Ranko: Oh…**

**MistyDuskDark:**** I know! I love to write Ryou as a badass! Something you said made me think of this; if you are a YGOTAS fan you will understand. Ahem…why did the green-haired kid cross the road?**

**GirlsRule2013:**** I'm sorry, deary :'( I'm glad that you will keep reading though! I know it will be a struggle without the music so here is a cookie to help you get through it (hands you cookie). Now I'm picturing Yuugi as a mermaid…now I have an idea for a story. Thank you ;)**

**Mana's Madness:**** I get frustrated having to write songs in as well -_-" It takes up a lot more time and it is very troublesome to fit them into the story, so I must give props to Magi Magi Magician Gal who does that in every one of her stories. Hey, nothing is funny unless its punny! Get it? **

**AmerillaRose:**** You're cool! …I don't know ^^ I'm strange. **

**Ryou: Well, those are all of them. **

**Ranko: You guys make me so happy!**

**Bakura: …You're weird. **

**Yami: Ranko twin owns nothing. **

**Ranko: Enjoy, chickies!**

-/-

Atem and Akefia looked around in awe at the temple that was said to be devoted to them. It was so beautiful and so extravagant with gold embedded in the walls and lush pillows on the floor. There was an amazing view of the city and a large bath right in the middle of the room.

Atem smiled cheekily at his friend. "Hey…" he said.

Akefia grinned. "Yeah?"

Atem burst out in hearty laughter. "We did it! I can't believe we did it! We convinced this whole city that we're gods!"

"I know, I'm sorry I underestimated you, pal!" he said, slapping Atem on the shoulder.

"I told you it wouldn't be that hard!"

"But then again, all of these people must be suckers to believe us!" Akefia said, laughing as well.

"So what's the plan?" Atem asked.

"Alright, so we stay have to keep this up long enough and load up on all the gold we can carry and then get back to Egypt!" Akefia explained.

"Then we'll really be treated like gods there," Atem laughed.

Akefia slapped his friend on the back. "That's right! Akefia and Atem!" He struck a pose.

"Atem and Akefia!" Atem exclaimed, striking a pose as well. "Mighty and powerful gods!"

They suddenly heard someone clear their throat from behind them. The two men gave a started shriek—which they would later deny—and whirled around to see the white-haired, temple-robbing thief—Ryou was his name—from earlier.

He was smiling cheekily and he waved at them in a friendly matter. "Hello," he said with a slight accent that was different than the one Atem and Akefia had.

"Depart mortal!" Akefia said in what he hoped sounded like a very regal tone. "Before we…smite thee?"

Ryou giggled and Akefia felt his heart stutter—something he would also later deny.

Atem was definitely not pleased that this boy did not take them seriously as he casually strolled around the room, picking up this and that and playing with it. "Hey! Pay attention to us or fear the wrath of the great gods!" he cried.

Ryou cocked his hip. "Show me you're wrath," he said.

Atem stood there for a moment, taken aback by what the boy said. "Oh, well…um…not now!" he whined pathetically. "You have to let me build it up! Come back in, like, a half an hour!"

Ryou crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Atem in an unamused manner.

Atem growled. "Alright, I warned you!" He stood there awkwardly for a moment before exclaiming, "Be gone!" He made little raptor claws with his fingers and made a strange scratching noise in the back of his throat. He repeated this as Akefia face-palmed.

Ryou just laughed again.

"Atem," Akefia said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Atem…" Atem still pathetically did the little raptor claws. "Atem!" The man stopped, his shoulders slumped. "It is obvious that we have been caught," Akefia said, sounding like his patience was drawn thin. "So please…stop doing that! In fact, never do that again!"

Atem pouted. "You're no fun."

Ryou laughed again. "You guys don't have to worry about me ratting you out." He cleared his throat and made it go an octave higher to make himself sound more innocent. "'My only wish is to serve the gods,'" he said, mocking himself. "Remember?"

Akefia and Atem exchanged skeptical looks. Finally, Akefia asked, "Why?"

"Well…" Ryou said, walking back to them, his hips swaying. "If you want to get the gold and you don't want to get caught, you're going to need my help."

Atem scoffed. "What makes you think we need you're help?"

Ryou cocked his hip and gave Atem a look. He imitated the raptor claw act he did earlier mockingly. "Are you serious?" he asked, laughter in his voice.

Alexis made a noise similar to a laugh; Atem threw a pillow at the horse.

"Who are you anyway?" Akefia asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, and what's your angle?" Atem added.

Ryou shrugged. "No angle…but I want in," he said.

"In?" Atem asked, raising an eyebrow.

"On the scam," Ryou clarified.

Akefia and Atem shared worried looks; they laughed awkwardly. "Atem, can you believe this, he thinks that there is a scam!"

"I know, that's ridiculous, there's no scam!"

Ryou raised an eyebrow at them.

Akefia sighed. "Why do you want in?"

"I want to get out," Ryou said.

"Out?" Atem asked unbelievingly.

"He wants in so he can get out," Akefia explained.

"I know what he meant!" Atem snapped. "I meant, why would he want out? This is the City of Gold!"

Ryou laughed humorlessly. "Just because it is the City of Gold doesn't mean that it is paradise. I hate it here! I'm basically a slave! I have no family, no one who cares! The only one who actually does care is Yuugi," he said, his voice heavy.

"Yuugi?" Akefia asked.

"The midget you saw earlier," Ryou explained simply. "So yes, I want out. I want to see the world, I want adventure! I want someplace where I can be free! And I need to look for someone, and I can't do it while I'm practically a prisoner here," Ryou said.

"Who are you looking for?" Atem asked.

Ryou looked at him incredulously. "None of your business!" he snapped. He then realized how rude that was and bowed. "My apologies."

Atem felt awkward having everyone bow down to him. "It's no problem."

Ryou stood up and sighed in relief. "Okay, so when you guys decide to leave and go back to wherever you came from, I want to come too."

Akefia clicked his tongue. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think so."

Ryou tapped his foot impatiently. "Alright, fine," he said. "I mean, I'm sure that you guys know about the proper way of sacrificing a tribute, Leviathan, and of course you know about Spirit Ka!" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I mean, you are the great gods," he said in a sickly sweet tone. "Best of luck to you!"

Then he turned around to begin walking out of the temple but Akefia quickly called out for him to stop. Ryou grinned and looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"We'll see how this works out," Akefia said, negotiating. "If we can trust you by the time we leave, then you can come with us."

Ryou smiled. "Alright then, great! You can call me Ryou," he introduced, holding out his hand to shake. "Your new partner!"

"Excuse me! You're not our partner!" Akefia called as Ryou went skipping off to a back room and came back with an armful of bright fabrics.

"Here, put these on!" he said, tossing the material at Akefia and Atem. "Your public is waiting!"

Akefia began to strip down but then something that Ryou said caught his attention. "Wait! What public?" he asked. But Ryou had already disappeared behind a curtain, the only evidence of him ever being there was the fluttering of the curtain as it had just been thrown open.

Atem noticed how his friend looked after the spot where Ryou had been with a sort of fondness in his eye. It had been a long time since he had seen that look in his friend's eye, not since…

Atem shook his head to free himself of those thoughts. "Hey…" Atem said suggestingly, having already put on his Shendyt.

Akefia raised an eyebrow at his friend. "What?" he questioned.

"You like him, don't you?"

Akefia's face became red and he began to sputter. "Wh-what? Of course not! I mean, he is this arrogant, sarcastic little brat that won't take no for an answer! And I barely know the guy, so…"

Atem looked unconvinced and he just smiled at his friend.

"Shut up," Akefia mumbled under his breath.

Atem chuckled. "Just remember, Akefia," he said while admiring himself in the mirror. "We're supposed to be gods, so we should avoid any temptation." This remark resulted with a pillow being thrown at his head.

Akefia's Shendyt almost fell off his hips from him throwing the pillow with such force. "So…gods, huh? I guess this is going to be tougher than I thought," he said to himself, but Atem heard him.

The man chuckled and draped an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Relax, Akefia, we'll be fine. Just smile, act godly, and follow my lead." With that said, Atem pushed Akefia through the curtain that lead outside of the temple and they halted where they were when they saw the whole city standing below them, looking up eagerly; it looked as if they had been waiting for them.

Akefia stood there awkwardly as Atem smiled, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

They were led down the golden steps by beautiful women who threw petal at their feet as a band played. Food was practically forced at them, which they accepted gratefully, haven't remembering the last time they had a decent meal. There was fresh wine to drink and delicious food. There was excellent entertainment and more wine. And gifts and more wine!

Long before the night was over, they were very much drunk.

Ryou came up to them with a plate of grapes and muttered in their ears. "Please don't tell me you're drunk," he hissed.

"No, we're not dunk," Akefia slurred out.

"We are cone sold stober," Atem added.

"You better sober up soon," Ryou hissed, pinching their ears. "Because the high priest and chief want to talk to you!"

"Huh?" Akefia asked sluggishly, but it was too late.

Suguroku and Dartz stood before them, bowing deeply. "My lords, I trust that this party suits your needs," Suguroku said in a friendly manner.

"Oh yes, definitely," Atem said as clearly as he could.

"I still disagree that this is not a proper way to welcome you. I say that we plan a ritual sacrifice to honor you being here," Dartz said. "Do I have your permission?"

"Oh yes, sacrifice away. Do it in our name," Akefia said in a very drunken manner.

Dartz grinned. "Very good."

_The next morning ~_

Atem and Akefia woke up with a pounding headache.

"Oh God, please make it stop," Atem mumbled, smothering his face with a pillow.

"You're too loud," Akefia complained.

Suddenly, a bright light flooded in where they were both sleeping and they both groaned, shielding their eyes. Then they heard a familiar voice saying, "Good morning, my lords!"

Both of their eyes shot open and they looked up to see Dartz above them, with some strange face paint on. "Akefia, he's back," Atem whispered.

Akefia nodded, slowly sitting up and rubbing his forehead. Then he looked down and saw that he was back in his original clothes. "This isn't what I remember going to bed in…" he said matter-of-factly.

"Who changed us then?"

They both gulped, hoping and praying it wasn't Dartz.

"Where are we anyway?" Akefia asked, looking around and noticing they were not in their temple room but what appeared to be a palanquin.

Akefia moved the curtains to the side to take a peak outside, but when he heard a booming voice exclaim, "The gods have awakened!" followed by massive cheering, he toppled out of the palanquin and landed on his face. Atem stepped out more gracefully than he did.

They saw the whole city before them again as they stood on what appeared to be a cliff over a whirling, spiraling body of water.

Atem looked around and saw that with them on the cliff were Suguroku and Ryou, but he didn't see Yuugi. Suguroku was looking around worriedly; he must have been wondering where the boy was as well.

Dartz stood on the edge of the cliff, continuing to speak to his audience.

Akefia got Ryou's attention and asked, "Hey, what's going on here?"

All he said was, "Its not going to be good," before going back and standing by Suguroku.

"A great blessing has been bestowed upon us!" Dartz continued. "But what do we do to show our gratitude? We just throw a meager…celebration." He spit the word out as if it were venom. "The gods deserve a proper tribute!" he exclaimed.

It was at that moment, four men came out holding a wide stand and sitting on that stand, was a highly decorated bag that was very large and lumpy. Akefia and Atem grinned; judging by the size and shape of the bag, they thought it was gold.

The men put the bag down in front of Dartz and walked away quickly.

"The beginning of a new era!" The bag began to glow. "The dawning of a new age!" It began to rise and unravel itself, glowing brighter still. "Deserves a sacrifice!" The bag dissolved away completely and showed everyone what was in it.

There was a collective gasp from the entire city's population, Akefia and Atem stared wide eyed with their mouths agape, Ryou's hand flew to his mouth, and Suguroku felt his heart stop beating when he saw…

"Yuugi!"

-/-

**Ranko: Yes! I am ending it there!**

**Yami: Because she's a bitch. **

**Ranko: I'm not called the Queen of Cliffhangers for nothing, fool!**

**Bakura: Stop trying to act gangster, it makes you look stupid. **

**Ryou: Sorry for the shorter chapter, guys. **

**Yuugi: And sorry for the late release. **

**Ranko: Yeah, school's a bitch. Anyway, next thing that should be updated is Behind the Scenes! Soon, my pretties. **

**Yuugi: So, leave a review if you want to and tell Ranko how she did!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ryou: How long has it been since Ranko updated this story? **

**Yuugi: Long enough to hide from all of her readers for leaving them in suspense. **

**(Ranko's voice): You got that right!**

**Bakura: Ranko! Come out here and face your problems like a man!**

**(Ranko's voice): You're one to talk!**

**Bakura: Why that little…!**

**Yami: Ha! She told you!**

**(Ranko's voice): Same applies to you, Yami!**

**Yami: Bitch!**

**Ryou: So what are we gonna do with Ranko gone? **

**Yuugi: She does this all the time. **

**Bakura: I will hunt you down, Ranko! You can't hide forever!**

**(Ranko's voice): You'll never find me!**

**Yuugi: Let's just answer review, she'll come back eventually. **

**Bakura: Not unless I bring her back in a body bag first!**

**(Ranko's voice): Calm yourself, fluffy!**

**Ryou: No, Bakura, don't do it!**

**GirlsRule2013:**** Yeah! Have you never had a pillow fight with a horse before? :3 Its fun. I am a mean person, thank you for noticing :D I love you! **

**MistyDuskDark:**** My sentiments exactly! Dartz just needs to go die! Hmm…**

**xfallenangel13x:**** First off, love your penname. And second, you obviously don't know who I am ;) Allow me to introduce myself; hello, I am the Queen of Cliffhangers, nice to meet you ;)**

**Mana's Madness:**** Ah! I'm sorry TT_TT I want Yuugi to be saved as well, but I can't give away any spoilers! Also, you should know that I am the Queen of Cliffhangers!**

**Yuugi: Where did Yami and Bakura go? **

**Ryou: (sighs) Off to find Ranko.**

**Yuugi: (shakes head) Those three…**

**Ryou: Well, The Road to El Dorado nor Yu-Gi-Oh belong to us; they both belong to their respected owners and creators!**

**Yuugi: Enjoy…and let's hope that no one is killed. Me nor Ranko -_-"**

-/-

Yuugi had a dazed look in his eyes as he looked around, trying to discern where he was.

"Yuugi!"

He groaned and blinked a few times, as if he were just waking up from a dream; the haze in his eyes clearing. "G-grandpa?" he said wearily, searching around for a familiar face and one that didn't stare at him in disbelief, as if he were something rare or impossible.

The haze in his eyes was completely cleared as Dartz grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him up to stand on his feet, his knees barely supporting him.

"Grandpa!" Yuugi cried, sounding much more desperate.

"Yuugi!" Suguroku called back, tears rolling down his old face. Soldiers had to hold their ruler back to keep him from charging at Dartz. "Dartz, stop this madness at once!"

"This is what the gods wished for!" Dartz rebutted, still holding Yuugi by his shirt who was now struggling with his bonds. "This is what they desire!"

"Please, stop!" Yuugi cried.

Dartz growled and shook Yuugi as if he were nothing. "Silence! No one else can be sacrificed but you! The only successor to our Chief! You are the only one with worthy blood! Now do your duty to the gods!"

"Stop this!" Ryou whispered urgently to Akefia.

"What can I do?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the crying form of Yuugi.

Ryou grabbed his arm and that made him look down; the boy had tears welling up in his eyes. Akefia's eyes widened and he took a good look around; everyone who was watching was crying as they listened to Yuugi's desperate pleas, even the soldiers who were holding Suguroku back.

Dartz pushed Yuugi forward; the boy was dragging his feet as much as he could as they neared the cliff. The soles of his feet were bloody and raw. Dartz continued to push, grinning in an almost sadistic fashion.

"Dartz!" Suguroku roared in rage.

"This is a proper sacrifice to the gods! This is what must be done, lest they bring their wrath down upon us!" Dartz reasoned.

"Yuugi!" Ryou cried, falling to his knees.

"Grandpa…" Yuugi sobbed out weakly as his toes reached over the edge. He looked below to his fate; a wild whirlpool. He closed his eyes and waited to be embraced by the biting waters, to breathe his last breath.

Just one push and…

"STOP!"

Everything was silent for a moment. Everyone who was watching stood and gaped at what they saw. Dartz fell backwards and Suguroku stood amazed.

Atem had rushed forward and pushed Dartz away with a great force and then picked Yuugi up before he could fall over the edge into the whirlpool.

Ryou felt like his mouth was hanging so far open that his chin touched the floor; he snapped back to reality whenever he felt Akefia's warm, calloused hand rest on his elbow and then pull him up.

"This is not a proper tribute!" Atem continued, his voice quivering with rage; a bright, angry fire burned in his eyes.

Yuugi stared in awe as he saw first hand the flames that were rising in Atem's impossibly beautiful eyes.

"I am so sorry, my lord," Dartz said, scrabbling to his knees and bowing so low that his nose touched the stone. "I did not realize that this was not a proper tribute to you. I must have…misinterpreted what you had told me. Is there…anyone else that is more pleasing in your sight?"

Atem looked down at the small, child-like boy in his arms who was not meeting eye contact with him but he could feel how badly he was shaking.

"No," Atem said, his eyes never leaving Yuugi's form. "There is no need for any human sacrifices."

Atem couldn't tell, but he could swear that he heard a collective sigh of relief come from the citizens who had come to watch this spectacle.

Atem gently put Yuugi to his feet and the boy nearly collapsed again; he quickly caught himself, tripping over his feet as he rushed to his grandfather and flung his arms around his neck.

"Grandfather!"

"Yuugi, thank the heavens!" Suguroku sobbed in relief, kissing the top of Yuugi's head.

Dartz snarled and looked down at his feet.

Suguroku handed Yuugi over to Ryou so he could address Atem and Akefia. "Mighty and powerful gods, I thank you!" he proclaimed gratefully. "I thank you for showing mercy and sparing my grandson. Please allow me to offer my own tributes of thanks."

With a wave of his hand, a row of women walked out, each one holding a platter that was piled with gold.

Atem and Akefia practically drooled over all of the riches and goods that were being offered to them. The gold…it was so beautiful! And it was all for them!

"To Reikai?" Suguroku asked, smiling brightly, still joyous that his grandson would live.

Atem and Akefia did not even understand what Suguroku meant, they were still high off of the exhilaration. "To Reikei!" they proclaimed mightily.

The women began to walk towards them with the platters and Akefia's greedy fingers were twitched with the need to touch the gold. Just when they got close enough to them though, the women stopped and flung the gold into the air. It flew over their heads and fell into the whirlpool below the cliff.

Atem and Akefia's shoulders deflated as they watched the gold sink into the water, their mouths hanging open. The line of women continued, each one tossing the gold into the water.

Ryou came up beside them; he cocked his hip and gave them a look.

"Um, Ryou…" Akefia said. "What are they doing?"

Ryou cleaned his fingernails nonchalantly and looked over the cliff edge. "Oh, nothing. Just offering the gold to Reikei."

"And…um, what is Reikei by any chance?" Atem asked; he still mournfully watched the gold being rained down but it was not for him; it rained over him. He was so close yet he couldn't touch it.

"Reikei is the Spirit World."

Atem and Akefia sighed; of course it is.

Ryou sighed and slapped a hand over his forehead. "Idiots," he muttered. "Don't worry," he said, patting Akefia on the shoulder. "I'll take care of this."

He walked over to Suguroku who was watching the procession with a sort of satisfaction, hoping that he was pleasing the gods. Ryou thought of how ironic that was. He cleared his throat to get the chief's attention.

"Yes, Ryou?"

Ryou bowed deeply. "Hello, chief Suguroku. The gods have changed their mind."

Suguroku tilted his head to the side in confusion and Ryou now knew where Yuugi got that quirk from. "What do you mean?" the old man asked.

"Well, you see, they wish to bask in the glory of their riches that have been so humbly bestowed upon them."

Suguroku thought this over for a moment and then nodded in understanding. He cleared his throat and in a louder voice than anyone could imagine would come from him, he shouted, "Stop!"

The women immediately stopped in their tracks, lowering their arms to keep from throwing the gold.

Everyone waited to listen to what their chief had to say.

When Suguroku was certain that he had everyone's attention, he smiled and continued to say, "The gods wish to bask in their riches! Take the tributes to their temple!" The women nodded and then turned around to do as their chief ordered them.

Ryou walked back to them with a pleased smile gracing his lips. Akefia grinned and tugged on a lock of Ryou's hair in a playful matter. "Nice going, shorty," he said softly to the boy.

The citizens of the City of Gold began to depart from the amphitheater like structure that was set up and the only two people left were Suguroku and Dartz. Dartz refused to look his chief in the eye; he could feel his eyes burning holes into the top of his head.

Suddenly he felt Suguroku get very close to him and then harshly whisper, "Never. Again. If you ever try to hurt my grandson again, do not think I won't punish you severely. Do you understand?"

Dartz thought of the usually kind-hearted man getting angry. Suguroku was slow to anger but when he was, it was not a very pretty sight. "Understood, sir."

Suguroku nodded and then turned on his heel to go. What he didn't notice was that when Dartz looked up, he was grinning sadistically and burning a glare into Suguroku's retreating back.

Meanwhile, back in Atem and Akefia's temple, the room was already filled with gold.

"Look at all of this!" Akefia cried in jubilance. "It's all for us! We're now richer than the Pharaoh of Egypt himself!"

"Not bad in a day's work," Atem said cockily.

"When we get out of here and get back to Egypt just imagine the high life that we will be living!" Akefia said, at peace with himself as he fell back on a bed of pillows.

Atem scratched the back of his head. "Speaking of which, how are we going to get back to Egypt, anyway?"

Akefia's eyes shot open. He sat up and opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and began to think again. Then he opened his mouth again. "A boat…"

* * *

"A boat?" Suguroku questioned, raising an eyebrow at the odd request.

"Yes, um, something has happened, uh…" Akefia said awkwardly, grasping for words.

"Um, back home in the Spirit World…Ray-Key!"

"Reikei," Akefia corrected softly, elbowing his friend in the ribs. "So anyway, we're sorry for the inconvenience, but you know how family matters go," Akefia continued to say to Suguroku.

Suguroku put his chin in his hand and looked troubled. "Well, we expected you to stay with us for the next…let's say, thousand years."

Atem and Akefia shared secret nervous glances with each other.

"Well, you see, as we say in the Spirit World," Akefia said. "There's your plan and then there's our plan." He pointed heavenward. "So, our plan requires a boat."

Suguroku looked a bit skeptical.

"Well, we plan on going the horizontal way at first and then when he get farther out to sea, we will ascend vertically," Akefia explained weakly. He knew he made a stupid argument and he saw Atem trying to hide his laughter.

"Well, if that is what you need," Suguroku said, blowing out a sigh. "A boat glorious enough to hold your glory and splendor would take about a…week to build."

Atem and Akefia made faces of disappointment.

"But, for the gods," Suguroku said quickly. "Three days, at most," he said after a while of contemplating.

Akefia still looked unsure but Atem kicked his leg. "If that is the best you can do, I can ask for nothing more," Atem said; Akefia looked at his friend in disbelief. Since when did he become so noble like? Perhaps this "gods" business has finally gone to his head.

The look on Akefia's face did not escape Suguroku though. "Perhaps if you were not burdened with so many great tributes than you could leave sooner?"

Akefia's head shot up. He sat up straighter and nodded. "Three days is perfect."

* * *

"Three days is not perfect," Akefia said, pacing the room, picking up golden trinkets as Ryou looked at the gold necklaces that were among the offerings. Akefia stopped and picked up a simple gold chain with a burgundy stone hanging from it. "Here, this one," he said, helping the boy put it on.

Ryou was surprised but also felt his face heat up at not only the contact but the warm feeling he got in his chest. "Th-thank you," he said, looking down at his feet sheepishly.

"How are we going to keep this up for three days, Atem?" Akefia following Atem across the room.

Atem snorted and waved his hand in a dismissing manner. "You worry too much."

Akefia growled low in his throat; he was upset that his friend wasn't taking this situation they were in as seriously as he was. "No, I worry just enough!" he barked out, grabbing Atem's shoulder and whirling him around to face him. "We just have to lie low and not do anything that would draw any suspicion. You know, especially from the crazy priest dude."

Atem scowled, anger contorting his features. "You mean Dartz?"

Akefia nodded. "Yes, him. He is always watching us, always expecting something from us. So we cannot do anything!"

Atem sighed. "But Akefia, look at this place!" he said, looking out the front of the temple fondly. The wildlife, the clear stream, the golden sun; it was paradise. "It's so beautiful here."

"No!" Akefia yelled, cutting Atem's fantasies off before they even began. "You cannot move!"

Atem chuckled. "You have got to be kidding me."

Akefia shook his head wildly. "No, I'm not! Do not move, do not blink, don't even breathe!"

Atem just laughed humorlessly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Please, Atem," Akefia said, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Just promise me this."

Atem looked into his friend's eyes and saw how serious he was about this. He sighed helplessly, his shoulders sagging. "Alright, I promise," he muttered half-heartedly.

Akefia breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." Akefia turned away from Atem to go take inventory on one pile of gold.

As soon as Akefia's back was turned, Atem looked at his friend apologetically—almost guilty. He walked up behind Ryou who was sitting on the couch and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Cover for me, will you?"

Ryou nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around and saw Atem there. "What?"

Atem gave Ryou a puppy-dog face. "Please cover for me while I go out."

Ryou raised an eyebrow. He looked over at Akefia who was completely distracted and then back at Atem. "Don't be gone long," he said and Atem knew he meant it by the harshness in his voice.

Atem smiled brightly. "Thank you so much," he said before rushing out of the temple quietly.

Ryou sighed and rolled his eyes; it was like dealing with children.

Meanwhile, ships with the crest of the Pharaoh sailed closer and closer to the island that hid the legendary City of Gold and two thieves.

-/-

**Yuugi: Well, that's the end of chapter—**

**Ranko: Quick, Yuugi! You have to hide me!**

**Ryou: Ranko? **

**Yuugi: What happened?**

**Ranko: Yami and Bakura found me!**

**(Bakura's voice): She went this way!**

**Ranko: Shit! Gotta go! See all of you lovely people next chapter…hopefully. **

**Yami: Ranko!**

**Ranko: Damn it!**

**Bakura: You can't run forever!**

**Ranko: Leave me alone!**

**Ryou: …**

**Yuugi: That happened…**

**Ryou: So review. If you want Ranko to survive them leave lengthier reviews. Much appreciated and thanks to everyone who are supporting us and this story!**


End file.
